When I came to Thailand 20 years ago I had this idea that everyone in Thailand meditated. A lot. I had read some books that followers of Ajahn Chah and Buddhadasa published and I don’t know why, but I generalized that most of Thailand’s population must be meditating often.
The majority of Thais do not meditate daily or even weekly. If you count meditation as chanting mantras at the temple one day a week or month, or kids sitting in silence for 2-3 minutes in their morning meeting before school, then I guess you could say a lot of Thais meditate.
The thing is, in daily life here, few people are meditating on their own to pursue/follow some path. Not even the monks.
Thais will sit for dhamma/dharma talks often. Some attend temples often. It’s usually the old and the affluent who are thankful for something who attend the temple. Or maybe that’s a generalization. There are plenty of poor people who visit the temple in the morning to eat with the monks.
How Few Thais Meditate?
I climbed the steps up a hill leading to a shrine, chedi, and big Buddha up at the top for years. I stopped counting how many times around 1,450. So, I was at that temple many hundreds of times. I talked to the monks, the magee (nuns), and I saw lots of Thais and visitors.
I saw Thais meditating at that temple, alone and on their own just thrice in the 10+ years I was visiting. This temple is supposed to be for meditation instruction.
There’s no way to put a number on how many Thais meditate daily or even that have a regular practice, but I don’t know any Thais who meditate here either. It seems to be something they’re content to let monks do. It seems they’re content, if they care about Buddhism at all – or practice at all – to attend a dhamma talk or make food for the monks coming to pick it up on alms round.
I’ve met a lot of Thais in 20+ years. I don’t remember talking to anyone about their meditation practice. The question often is asked of me, why did I come to Thailand. When I tell them ‘meditation’ and ask about their own practice, there is just that Thai smile that says I don’t do it, I should.
Do Thai Monks Meditate?
Of course, some monks are meditating daily. It is usually just a small fraction of the total number of monks and nuns who are residing at the temple. There are certain temples in Bangkok and across the nation where they are more dedicated to helping monks follow the Buddhist path with meditation practice.
Assumptions
Thailand, often called the “Land of Smiles,” is intimately associated with Buddhism, golden temples, and the serene image of meditating monks. For many visitors and outsiders, there’s a natural assumption that meditation is woven into the daily lives of most Thai people. After all, with over 90% of the population identifying as Buddhist and more than 30,000 temples scattered across the country, one might expect meditation to be as common as eating pad Thai or giving a wai greeting (folded hands and bow to someone).
But is this assumption accurate? Do Thais actually meditate regularly, or is there a gap between Thailand’s Buddhist identity and the everyday spiritual practices of its people?
The Role of Meditation in Thai Buddhism
Meditation (or “kammathana” in Thai) holds a solid place in Thai Buddhism, which follows the Theravāda tradition—considered the oldest and most orthodox school of Buddhism. Within this tradition, meditation is viewed as an essential path toward enlightenment, particularly through two main approaches: Samatha (concentration meditation) and Vipassana (insight meditation).
Unlike some Western adaptations that emphasize meditation primarily for stress relief or mental health, traditional Thai Buddhist meditation is deeply intertwined with religious cosmology, ethical conduct, and the cultivation of wisdom. It’s seen not merely as a technique but as part of a total spiritual path.
In Thai temples (wats), meditation is taught alongside other practices, including chanting (suat mon), almsgiving (tak bat), and studying Buddhist scriptures and dharma. The balance between these practices varies significantly across Thailand’s diverse monastic communities. Some forest monasteries place intense emphasis on meditation, while city temples may focus more on community ceremonies and rituals.
For most Thais, their exposure to meditation often begins in childhood through temple visits and religious ceremonies, where they observe rather than actively practice meditation techniques. The question remains: how often do Thais actually practice meditation on their own?
Do Thai Monks Meditate Regularly?
Contrary to popular images of monks spending their days in deep meditation, the reality of monastic life in Thailand is far more diverse. While meditation is indeed part of monastic training, monks’ days are filled with numerous other activities and responsibilities.
Young novices (nen) and newly ordained monks typically focus on memorizing Pali chants, studying Buddhist texts, and learning proper monastic conduct before developing a serious meditation practice. Senior monks often bear administrative responsibilities for their temples, conduct ceremonies, provide counseling to laypeople, and engage in community projects.
The meditation practices of Thai monks vary considerably:
- Forest tradition monks, following teachers like Ajahn Chah or Luang Pu Mun, typically place greater emphasis on meditation, often practicing for several hours daily.
- City monks, particularly those at educational monasteries, might have more structured schedules balancing study with meditation.
- Some monks specialize in meditation and teach retreats, while others focus on scholarly work or community service.
A Thai monk from Wat Pah Nanachat (a forest monastery in Northeastern Thailand) explains: “People see monks sitting in meditation posture in photographs and assume we spend all day meditating. In reality, formal sitting practice might be just two hours of our day. However, we practice mindfulness throughout all activities—walking, eating, cleaning—this is also meditation.”
So, if you count meditation as mindfulness, there is probably a lot more of that occuring at the temples in Thailand.
Mindfulness Among Thais
When I first met my wife, I marveled at her ability to stay in the present moment continuously. She never seemed to pop out of it. She never spoke about the past or future. She was right HERE in the present where she was content to be. Happy to be, usually. I honestly thought she might already be enlightened as a result of some natural process. Maybe a chosen one from the gods. I’m not joking here, there was something so perplexing about her state of mind. Anyway, maybe it was to lure me in and fall in love with her? 🙂
Thais are often mindful of what they’re doing to a degree that they are lost in it. They are JUST that activity. I see it everywhere and for decades. It’s a very real change of perspective from the USA where we are steeped in and constantly facing our horrors of the past and our fears of the future and what it might bring. What our actions in the past may bring us in the future.
Meditation Among Laypeople in Thailand
When it comes to ordinary Thai citizens, the reality of meditation practice diverges significantly from Western perceptions. For many Thais, Buddhism is expressed primarily through merit-making activities (tham bun), ethical conduct, temple support, and participation in festivals rather than formal meditation or even sitting on the floor at home and practicing for 10 minutes each day.
A 2018 survey conducted by Mahidol University suggested that while approximately 80% of Thais reported visiting temples for religious purposes, only about 30% practiced formal meditation even occasionally. Among those who did meditate, frequency varied widely, with just 12% reporting daily practice.
In my twenty years here I’ve certainly not seen anything like 12% of people practicing meditation daily. I think it is more on the order of less than 1%. That’s just my idea, I’m surely off, but I think the reality is closer to 1% than 12%. Of course Thais asked in a survey whether they meditate or not has huge implications for what others think of them. The Thai concept of FACE must be preserved in this culture, so there were very likely huge numbers of people who distorted their meditation practice commitment on the survey.
For many Thais, particularly older generations, Buddhist practice often takes the form of:
- Chanting before a home shrine
- Making merit by offering food to monks
- Observing five or eight precepts on holy days
- Practicing generosity and compassion
- Attending temple ceremonies
These activities are considered valid expressions of Buddhist practice, without formal meditation. As one 72-year-old Thai grandmother from Chiang Mai explained: “I don’t sit in meditation much anymore—my knees hurt! But I chant every morning and evening, and I try to keep my mind peaceful throughout the day. This is my meditation.”
I think most Thais think this way. Meditation can mean many things to them, and sitting alone and looking at the breath is not the only way to meditate.
Younger urban Thais show an even more complex relationship with meditation. While some have embraced meditation through university Buddhist clubs or workplace wellness programs, others view meditation as something primarily for the elderly or monks—not necessarily relevant to their busy modern lives.
Influence of Modern Life on Meditation in Thailand
Thailand’s rapid modernization has transformed how many Thais engage with traditional practices. In Bangkok and other urban centers, the demands of work, education, and digital connectivity have created conditions where formal meditation practice often takes a backseat to everyday pressures. Not to mention the noise of the city is not conducive at all to a meditation practice in which quiet surroundings are essential for beginners.
In rural communities, especially those near well-known meditation monasteries, local people may have more regular exposure to meditation teaching and practice. In cities, despite the presence of temples, many Thais find themselves disconnected from traditional spiritual practices amid the pace of urban life.
As traditional meditation practice has declined among some in Thai society, mindfulness movements have gained traction among educated urban professionals. Corporate mindfulness programs, meditation apps, and wellness retreats—often with a secular or psychological emphasis—have found audiences among younger Thais in Thailand and all over the world.
Dr. Sombat Tapanya, a Thai psychologist who researches mindfulness practices, notes: “We’re seeing an interesting phenomenon where some Thais are rediscovering meditation through Western-influenced mindfulness programs, often stripped of traditional Buddhist context. They may practice meditation without considering it a religious activity at all.”
Meditation Retreats and Foreign Influence
Thailand has become world-renowned as one of the top destinations for meditation retreats, drawing thousands of foreign visitors annually seeking to learn Buddhist meditation techniques. Centers like Wat Suan Mokkh in Surat Thani, Dipabhavan Meditation Center on Koh Samui, and the many forest monasteries of the Northeast have developed significant international reputations.
Has Thailand become more a provider of meditation instruction to foreigners than a nation of meditators itself?
The evidence suggests a complex reality. While many retreat centers report that foreign visitors often outnumber Thai participants, there has been a growing interest among middle-class Thais in meditation retreats as well. Retreats conducted in Thai language (rather than those catering to international visitors) often attract substantial numbers of Thai participants, particularly during holiday periods. Wat Suan Mokkh has both Thai language and English language 10-day retreats each month of the year.
Phra Paisal Visalo, a respected monk and meditation teacher, observes: “Some Thais feel they’ve rediscovered their own tradition through seeing foreigners so interested in Buddhist meditation. It’s created a kind of positive feedback loop where foreign interest has helped revitalize certain meditation traditions within Thailand itself.”
Thais participation in foreign-run Buddhist temples in their area reflects this. There are hundreds of regular attendees to Wat Pah Nanachat’s weekly dharma talks and events. Thais who speak English are especially drawn to these activities. My wife’s grandmother, once an English teacher in Sisaket, near Wat Pah, religiously attends as many events as she can and she is over 80 years old.
The revitalization of meditation practice among Thais seems to be more evident in educated professionals, university students, and retirees—rather than representing broad-based participation across Thai society.
The Reality—Do Most Thais Meditate?
Most Thais have been exposed to meditation and understand its significance within their religious tradition, but regular formal practice is not as widespread as outsiders might assume.
Several factors help explain this reality:
- Diverse Buddhist practices: Thai Buddhism embraces multiple valid paths of practice, with meditation being just one approach alongside ethical conduct, generosity, and devotion.
- Monastic division of labor: Traditionally, intensive meditation was often seen as the domain of forest monks, while laypeople supported the sangha (monastic community) through other means.
- Practical constraints: Many working Thais face time limitations, physical discomfort, or lack of proper instruction that make regular formal meditation challenging.
- Cultural shifts: Modernization has disrupted traditional spiritual practices while simultaneously creating new pathways to mindfulness practices.
- Shift to Materialism: While most Thais aren’t switching to another religion, they have with continued economic prosperity, been moving toward materialism like every other culture in the world. Making more money to buy more things takes more time and leaves little for traditional practices of their parents and ancestors – like meditation.
Instead of formal sitting meditation, many Thais incorporate mindfulness into daily activities—a practice called “walking meditation” or “working meditation.” This involves maintaining awareness while performing routine tasks, a practice that aligns with Buddhist principles without requiring designated meditation sessions.
Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa, a prominent Thai social critic and Buddhist intellectual, suggests: “The Western fixation on meditation as sitting practice sometimes misses the broader Buddhist understanding. For many Thais, meditation is living mindfully in every action—how you treat others, how you work, how you speak. This is also meditation.”
So, “Do Thais Meditate?”
Sure, they do. Some do. Some don’t. On the whole, most Thais do not meditate daily or weekly, or even ever, to be frank.
Thailand remains a place where Thais and foreigners can come for meditation teaching and practice short or long-term.
While Thailand remains deeply influenced by Buddhist traditions and meditation continues to play an important role in Thai spiritual life, the forms and frequency of practice vary widely across different segments of society.
Rather than seeing a simple yes or no answer, we could look at Thai meditation as existing on a spectrum—from monks dedicating their lives to intensive practice, to laypeople who meditate occasionally during retreats or temple visits, to those who focus on other aspects of Buddhist practice while incorporating mindfulness principles into daily life.
Looking ahead, Thailand appears to be experiencing both continuity and change in its meditation traditions. On one hand, international interest has helped preserve and even revitalize certain meditation lineages. On the other hand, younger Thais are engaging with meditation in new ways—sometimes through secular mindfulness practices or digital platforms rather than traditional temple settings. Most younger Thais are just not interested in the practice of meditation at all and are moving completely away from most Buddhist practices, but not beliefs.